>> eric: most of them! >> andrea: long arms. >> eric: unbelievable. >> dana: take a picture of myself. post it. [ laughter ] ♪ >> bret: as the dnc gets underway. the national debt crosses ominous milestone and president obama says what he thinks his grade should be for his first term. live from charlotte, north carolina. this is "special report." ♪ ♪ >> bret: good evening. welcome back to the time warner cable arena. right now, corey booker the newark mayor is sleeping on the democratic stage. i'm bret baier. now that labor day is over, many students are headed to

school for the start of the new academic term. president obama is giving himself grade for the first one. it comes as the national debt hits $16 trillion. you can see it in the corner of the screen. we have more on your share of debt later in the show. first, chief white house correspondent ed henry with the president's report card. >> reporter: after nearly four years in office what grade would president obama give himself on the economy? >> i would say incomplete. historically after the big financial crisis. where a lot of people are dealing with debt, or a collapse of housing market. that creates bigger challenges. not just in united states but around the world. >> reporter: that interview in a station in battleground of colorado served up a softball to paul ryan.

>> four years in presidency and incomplete. asking people to be patient with him. >> reporter: white house officials incyst it's not new because president graded himself with incomplete. true. they are not mentioning just one year in the presidency he told oprah win friday he deserved a solid "b" plus. and added passing healthcare would tip it to an a-minus. today the chairman of the convention went further suggesting that the president deserves top marks for trying to turn the economy around. >> give him an "a" for effort. "a" for making sure that americans are better off today than four years ago. i believe we need four more years. >> majority of the electorate disagrees and may look for resolve rather than effort. unemployment at 8.3%. gas prices as a national average close to $4 a gallon. asked by the "hill" newspaper

whether the president desevens a second term, 54% said no. 40% said yes. >> hello. >> the president made clear a lack of specifics for romney openeopened the door for incumbt to use his own acceptance speech. >> the other side may not be iger to talk about their ideas but on thursday night i'm going to look forward to sharing mine with you. thursday night i'll offer what i believe is a better path forward. a path to create good jobs and strengthen the middle class. >> the second straight day the message was overshadowed a bit. yesterday there were fumbles on the question whether or not we're better off four years later. come friday, there will be a bigger problem. we get the august jobs report. which cowell step on the president's speech from the night before.

>> bret: ed henry live on the floor. thank you. there are approximately 40,000 words in the democratic party platform but two are missing this year. that is causing some problems. senior national correspondent john roberts tonight looks at how democrats are rewriting their own history. >> the chairman of the democratic national committee got a sharp rebuke from israel's ambassador to the united states today. it happened after --by waserman schultz reportedly said michael orin told her republican criticism of president obama's record is "dangerous to israel." in a statement, ambassador orrin shot back. "i categorically deny saying anything harm to feel israel. we have great friends on both sides of the aisle. dnc invists that waserman schultz didn't say it easier and what jeopardizes the security is suggestion for partisan gain.

at the same time, the platform clearly recognizeded jerusalem as capital of israel nowhere in this year's platform does the statement exist. only pledge that the president will maintain an unshakable commitment to israel security. the democratic platform is sharp contrast to what romney said. >> it's moving experience be jerusalem capital of israel. >> they pounced on the change saying it's unfortunate that the democratic parity embraced obama's shameful refusal to announce jerusalem as the capital. in 1-888-jewish voters voted overwhelmingly, 78% for president obama. south carolina congressman tim

scott believes the emission in the platform may give some voters second thoughts. >> i think it's a major mistake on their part. without a doubt, the fact that jerusalem is the capital of israel. >> in a statement, the obama campaign insisted that the platform was focused on the president's commitment to israel security. dropping the language about jerusalem consistent with the policy of this and previous administrations. another change making news is the word "god" dropped from it. in 2008, government encouraged to allow people to reach the god-given potential. it appears nowhere in the 2012 platform. >> bret: john roberts live on the floor. let's get reaction. senator dick durbin the senior democrat from illinois. making him a key voice at the

convention. thank you. god out of the platform. why do that? >> in the narrative is present on your station and through your channel that democrats are godless people, they ought to know better. god is not a franchise of the republican party. those of white house believe in god and dedicated our lives to helping others in the name of god don't want a second seat to anyone suggesting that one word out of the platform means democrats are godless. >> bret: no, no. i don't think that is what is being said. we're reporting what is in the platform. in 2008, god was mentioned once. in 2004, it was mentioned seven times. in 2000 god was mentioned four times. just a question. the question is why take it out in this time? >> i'm saying to you if you draw to draw a conclusion -- >> bret: i'm not drawing a conclusion. i'm just asking a question. >> present your evidence. >> bret: i'm just asking the

question why was the word taken out. >> i'm telling you, that you are harping on a -- we know both parties are devoted to this country. both parties god-fearing parties. get on with the agenda about creating jobs in america. >> bret: understood. we'll talk about that in a second. talking about the platform here. two changes we noted, one that god was taken out from 2008 to 2012, two that jerusalem is not mentioned. not drawing conclusions, i'm just asking why the changes were made? >> i chaired the platform committee for two conventions and we had the most unread document in history of the policy. to suggest that this in the insertion of one word here or one word there is defined politics in america to suggest to me you are not focusing on the real issues that americans care about. >> bret: senator, you know -- >> american people want to us get back to work and continue to great jobs. >> bret: talk about that in one second.

you know democrats in tampa talk about the republican platform. and what was and what is not in there. i am asking about the changes and words, i'm asking why. i'm not drawing conclusion. >> the conclusions are wrong if you're drawing them. >> bret: i'm not. >> the first president recognized the state of israel was harry truman, a democrat. every president said the democrat and republican, stood closely with israel. i know what is going on here. in an effort to justify the money he is spending in standing up to israel. the democrats and the republicans are committed to israel future and security. >> bret: understand. no republican took the words out of the democratic platform. making the point. >> you say the two words coming out mean the relationship with israel is changed? >> bret: no, i'm asking the question why it was changed? why was it changed? i'm going to move on. >> i hope you will.

how is the president going to make a case he deserves four more years? >> people are better off now than four years ago. people lost 30% of the value of their retirement savings in the recession. 750,000 people a month losing their jobs. the financial sector had to be bailed out. automobile industry flat on it back. engaged in two wars. no end in sight. we're better off today than four years ago. we need cooperation to make it happen. >> bret: the first two years president obama had democrats in control of the senate and control of the house. >> there were precious few days where ted kennedy was well enough to come in and vote and make the 640th vote to break incessant republican filibusters.

rob byrd barely making it each day. the argument we control the senate, isn't true. you know it. we >> and the budget? >> we passed budget. the democratic and republican leaders signed if law by the president. you can keep repeating that but you are ignoring the budget control act that the republicans had on bipartisan basis. >> bret: when you talk specifics about the future, you were on the simpson-bowles and voted for commission. >> i did. >> bret: do you think the president should or will get specific in this convention about how to deal with the big ticket items, the $16 trillion in debt. how to deal with that on the long-term? >> it is a challenge. keep in mind when george w. bush became president we had a surplus. president clinton produced

surplus. the national debt was $5 trillion. the national debt doubled. put in tax cut in midst of two unpaid for wars and increase the medicare drug program. he had doubled the debt of america. the bush tax cut continued to take revenue out of washington. >> bret: how specific should the president get about the way forward to deal with the big ticket items. >> what the president, i believe he feels the simpson simpson-bowles commission move in the right direction. bipartisan effort to put everything on the table. revenue, spending and entitlement. keep in mind we might have passed the simpson-bowles commission if paul ryan and the house republicans voted for it. they voted against it. paul ryan the candidate for

vice president voted against the bipartisan efforts. the president could have good things and drove them across the finish line. >> if barack obama had embraced the simpson-bowles commission and said this is my plan you know would have happened. they would have said if you want to make it a one-term president and not give him an achievement. >> bret: senator, you introduced senator senator obama in 2004. you are speaking in this convention. introduction? >> same day. hope it's good luck charm. >> bret: we appreciate your time. thank you. thoughts from charles krauthammer later. and straight ahead republicans acting to president obama's incomplete grade. stay here. "special report" from the democratic national convention. [ female announcer ] e-trade was founded on the simple belief

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>> bret: welcome back to the democratic convention in charlotte. that is the perch overlooking the convention hall in the arena. the president is giving himself an incomplete grade, the republican detractors are not so ambivalent. employee political correspondent carl cameron with the g.o.p. response. >> in westlake, ohio, with a sign asking are you better off? paul ryan said the answer now should be the same as it was the last time a democrat was tossed out after one term. >> if we fired jimmy carter then why would we rehire barack obama now? >> republicans counterprogramming the democratic coverage vention in charlotte delighted in the president giving the last four years in office incomplete grade. >> i have a 10-year-old and 4-year-old. if they come home with incomplete on the report card they fail. unless there is umer school. there is no summer school.

he said i didn't get the job done. >> tied it to mark nomally police-flop. sunday he said people are not better off than four years ago but backed away from it as soon as obama aides took pain to insist people are better off. >> governor o'malley said no. until he got corey booker back topy noke yea land and changed his -- pinocchio land and changed the story to make the president happier. he was right the first time. >> democrats are playing rough, too. the first smear of the democratic convention in charlotte hit ryan yesterday. california state democratic party chairman burr top compareded him to nazi propagandist gerbels. >> as long as you like. gerbels, big lie. >> democrats distance themselveses in a backlash group, burton back pedaled. i didn't call republicans nazis, nor would i ever. i didn't even use the word.

if mitt romney or paul ryan are insulted by my calling campaign tactic as the big lie i most humbly apologize. disturbing news from virginia, former democrat, independent and republican congressman vir jill gewd qualified as a presidential candidate for the constitution party, which some worry could take votes from romney. the virginia gop is mounting a legal challenge to have him removed from the ballot. >> romney has hunkered down for rehearsals. rob portman of ohio is the governor's sparring partner playing the role of barack obama. the same service he provided in john mccain in the 2008 debate. bret? >> bret: carl, thank you. national debt hits $16 trillion. what that means to you and your family, as a video starts from the dnc.

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>> bret: welcome back to the democratic national convention in charlotte. home prices jumped 3.8% in 12 month ending in july. that is the biggest gain in six years. prices rose 1.3% from june to july. market was unimpressed. dow lost 55. s&p dropped two. republicans are hammering president obama on the national debt which we told you reached a dube mouse milestone on the corner of the screen.

>> at democratic convention it's hitting $16 trillion. >> another remind they're we are piling on the debt. with no plan to bring it to reasonable level. >> entirely appropriate it happened at the democratic national convention. $5.4 trillion happened in the last four years. >> it's piled on the future taxpayers whose share of the dead is $189,000 per household and growing. >> here is the bottom line. we are handing the debt to our kids. >> every dollar of debt is future tax increase. >> biggest imposition on their lifestyle. forget the vacation or summer

camp. life will be hard. >> more debt will be added under president obama than under every other president through bill clinton. the obama campaign plans to bring the debt down. >> stabilize the debt and work from there. you can't balance the budget in the short-term. to do that is ratchet down the economy. >> congressional budget office found obama 2013 budget would have $6.4 trillion in new deficit in ten years to work out to $54,000 more per household. >> we have to spot sending money we don't have. cut spending and get the debt under control. >> paying $500 million a year. if they went up 1% it would add $1.3 trillion to the

payment for a decade. no one knows when the rates will go up but it's certain they will. >> bret: thank you. topping world headlines the united nations says 100,000 syrian sought refugee sta us in in august, more than 40% of quarter million who fled the 17-month-old civil war. those are the refugees registered or are awaiting registration. admiral says it's part of iran response to america beef up naval president in the persian -- presence in the bergs gulf. krauthammer when we come back after the break. you heard of the 99% and the 1%. why the 6.5% are so important. we asked over 3,000 doctors to review 5-hour energy

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>> bret: welcome back to sharp, the democratic national convention. the screens behind me change every time with a new picture as a new speaker gets on the stage. right now, the congressional hispanic caucus up there. we are nine weeks away from the election day and battle over the next 63 day is joined for one particular group. chief washington correspondent james rosen tells that group is relatively small will get an extraordinary amount of attention.

>> grilled the fried chicken. he waits for better answers from the candidates before deciding how he will vote in november. >> some of it is the way they attack small businesses. helicopter insurance is a big topic for us. a lot of questions out there four years ago. >> thank you so much. thank you. >> today a new finds 6.5% of likely voters say like us they haven't made up their mind. >> i voted for obama then. now the economy is worse than it was before. so we need something but i'm not sure what. >> middle class person working hard. not a lot of option for the middle class. maybe there are better options. not sure which way i'll go on

it. feels like it never go anywhere. as a interrupt i feel like they don't care what i count for what i care about. maybe it does, maybe it doesn't. >> i like things from both candidates. >> others we spoke to had both candidates and the women were more pointed with the dissatisfaction with the g.o.p. candidate. >> i feel as a woman romney would take away my rights. >> i don't think romney supports reproductive rights. that is your own choice and decision. >> male undecided made sure romney didn't inspire them but were unsatisfied with the opponent. >> he has done so many things in the past. it should have been better in the economy. >> the latest fox news poll

found voters nationwide to be undecided. >> take time to make up their mind. especially voters indicated the preference could turn on the chosen candidate. so-called persuadable. poll taken on day before election day on 2008 found 5% of north carolina voters saying they might change their mind the final 24 hours. bret? >> thank you. get perspective now from syndicated call loumnist krauthammer ca -- columnist charles krauthammer joining us from washington. good evening. we were going to start broadly about the convention but i asked about the platform and why "god" and "jerusalem" was taken out to senator durbin and that got fiery. you wanted to weigh in on tha that. >> how he immediate le went on the attack, particularly on the jerusalem issue. i think what happened with the change in language platform, extremely cig can. it may be true we have a

platform but in the middle east where the diplomacy is conducted in subtle coded language, they couldn't believe ma the democrats have done. four years ago they asserted jerusalem was the capital of israel and should be. that is nowhere to be seen. that takes the rug away from the position. four years ago, any final solution, any final settlement, israel must remain undevideed. by removing the language, the united states of the democratic party is prepared to see barbed wire go through jerusalem as it did in 20 years and four years in the 1967 war. no mention of isolating hamas. no mention whatsoever of the platform stance four years ago that israel is not to return to the '67 line. these are all extremely important. for durbin to pretend it's not

and to mention harry trueman who recognizes vailed 65 years ago shows how defense and panicked they are on this one important issue. quickly, "god"s mentioned once in 2008 democratic platform. taken out this time. a lot of people don't read platforms anymore. it raises eyebrows even among democrats. >> platform don't tell you what will happen. but if you compare today of what used to be pro claimed you know something is changing in the party. this is one place that obama led from in front and not from behind. moving the party. that is extremely politically significant. >> charles, as always, thank you. we'll have you back throughout the rest of the convention. more numbers to talk about

whether you're better now than four years ago. we discuss that and the start for the convention with the fox all-stars after the break.

i will be held accountable. i've got four years. that is right. a year from now, folks will see that we're starting to make progress. but this there is still going to be pain out there. if i don't have it done in three years it will be a one-term proposition. >> your party said you inherited a bad situation. you had three-and-a-half years to fix it. what grade would you give yourself so far for doing that? >> i would say incomplete. you know, historically after the big financial crisis where people are dealing with debt. a collapse of a housing market, it creates bigger channels.

we see it around the world. >> bret: president obama at the beginning of his term and asked a question about grading himself yesterday. the numbers are what they are. take a look at the economic indicators. unemployment as we mentioned. 8.3% right now. national debt $16 trillion. food stamps at $46 million. those are the facts. we bring in the panel to talk about this convention and where to go from here for the democrats. mara liasson of national public radio. juan williams columnist with the hill. stoddard associate editor of the hill. steve hayes of "weekly standard." can you believe the president gave himself the grade, the republicans jumped on that. if you look at the numbers

that brackets the beginning. the challenge they have. >> bret: yeah. i think it's an argument that the president made. you have had people saying the president said in the interviews, judge based on the unemployment rate. you had liberal writers that wrote a book about the president's first year in office of the promise. i have been rereading it in the past week. he wrote, obama's leadership will look good if he succeeds bringing down the unemployment rate. if he fails to do so it's flawed. that is the way people approach this from the beginning of the administration. he hasn't performed. in addition you have numbers beyond 16 trillion. if you look at the per person debt if the united states, it's jumped $17,000 per citizen. from 35,000 to above $51,000 right now. if you have got a tough record to defend and it's one reason that i think you will have a lot of other issues. >> bret: a.b.? >> well, the president is trying to defy history being re-elected with 8.4%

unemployment. he has never ever talking about the debt these days. the argument is you are better off than four years ago, shedding 700 thank you jobs a month. housing market has improved. the market has improved. from the metrics that you look at the end of 2008 and months he was elected and months with the administration. he will make the argument to the american people that if we don't continue on this course, it might be close but 29 months of private sector job growth. >> bret: juan, isn't it deeper on the question are you better that you have than you were four years ago? isn't at it feeling about how you feel about the next four years?

whether you're optimistic? if you're feeling good. is that what they are after? >> i don't know if that is what they are after. there are better times coming and in fact people need to be patient. i thought it was a celebrititive representation back there to my mind as you look at the gdp. the gdp is back where it was in 2008 when the economy was in total collapse. if you look at the nasdaq and they are back above where they were at that period. if you look at foreclosures, housing market, we're in a better place. so i mean for my mind, it is about feeling that you were describing. the fear is when you ask americans about the economy, they don't think the economy is a disaster. they just think, you know, they're not certain about the future. >> bret: don't you think those three numbers are indicative of how people feel or look at their life about the unemployment rate? about the price of the gallon of gas? about the national debt?

and they are concerned about passioning something on to their kids and grand kids? >> sure, people have concerned. but when you have an economic argument like you say are you better off than fur years ago people want to know the facts. the facts are in term of the gdp, the standard measure of economic activity, in terms of the corporate profit, we're doing better than four years ago. >> bret: okay. >> the obama came pain would say it's wrong to look at [ inaudible ] do people feel we are going in the right direction. gas prices were heck of a lot higher. i think the question is the president has to be a tough sell, to think they are going in the right direction albeit do too slowly. contrast, if you don't stay with me you will get something worse. that why they tried so hard to make the election a choice not

a referendum. hard to win a referendum with numbers like this. nobody has won with numbers like this. >> when you ask people how they feel, about -- >> 2 to 1 people think it's on the wrong track. >> wrong track. confidence, not that strong. >> consumer confidence right now is at the same, more or less the same level in 1980 and 1991. >> bret: tonight we hear from the mayor of san antonio. up-and-comer, hispanic mayor that democrats say will take the place by storm. then you hear from the first lady, steve. what about tonight's speech? >> they are not lowering expectations for either one of these. they're raising the expectations. they're comparing a speech we expect to hear from mayor castro to a speech that president obama gave in 2004. but i think michelle obama is

popular. she is less popular today the day that obama inaugurated but she is the most popular administration official. i expect her to come out and make a case about what president obama has been like on the personal side in the oval office. remember, his likability numbers are higher. a lot of people believe that one of the reasons he continues to maintain the lead he does, in order to keep it even close, because he is well liked. she will emphasize that and try to tell that to the crowd. >> bret: they are going after women and hispanics. >> as he said, michelle obama is enormous asset for the president. as for getting young and up and coming, the rising stars, who are latino up on the stage in days to come. very, very important in the election. that president obama widely with the latinos. romney completely dropped the ball. on any kind of bridge to that electorate. they are going to take advantage of this.

because of sb-1070 in arizona, galvanized community of voters. a lot of money is raised. grass roots efforts. a lot of voter registration. democrats are going to make sure they remind them of that day in and day out this week. >> bret: next up, the democrats, their platform. two words missing and senator durbin. at purina one, we believe small things can make a big difference. like how a little oil from here can be such a big thing in an old friend's life. we discovered that by blending enhanced botanical oils into our food, we can help brighten an old dog's mind so he's up to his old tricks. it's just one way purina one is making the world a better place... one pet at a time. discover vibrant maturity and more at purinaone.com. there's natural gas under my town. it's a game changer. ♪

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>> bret: welcome back to the democratic convention. just heard from illinois governor pat quinn moving on in the schedule here. in front of a packed house in charlotte. a bit of a fiery interview earlier in the show with illinois democratic senator dick durbin. asked about the democratic

platform and two words that are missing. were taken out from 2008. alup with of them "god." we have the reference in the platform of the past democratic platform of positions. 2008 there was one mention of "god." as i mentioned, 2012 taken out. 2004, there were seven. 2000, four. republicans this year have 12 mentions. senator durbin was saying that we were drawing conclusions and with were asking the question why was the change made. the american athiest put out a statem saying this -- we are happy that the democrats are taking the positive steps. we are looking for inclusion of everyone and we are hope that the inclusion will continue to the point we can depend on mr. romney to repeal the faith-based initiative and reinforce the separation of

church an state." your thoughts? >> my mind, the affirmation of importance of faith in american family life. that comes through clearly. >> 11 times, faith, religious nine times. you're right. >> you know, the whole argument, i don't know the basics, the basis of leaving it out but i think it clearly the cultural word argument to suggest to many conservative republicans an church-goers among them, the democratic party lost touch with how much religion means to the american people. it exposes them to that kind of argument. >> bret: the democrats say that the god-given part was talk about the economic section and they pointed to the faith section. but the change was made. that's what i was asking about with senator durbin. >> the change was made.

the platform is always something that the other side can point to as a connectture of another party. god is missing. here in any republicans who care about that, probably not going to vote for president obama in the first place. it reminds me of the democrats with the republican platform which of course been a on abortion with no exceptions for rape and other others. the platform has a short life. when they are hustled pretty quickly out. >> bret: steve, on the issue of israel. the wording is different than it was. one of the words taken out is jerusalem as the capital. you heard charles' comments about that. what about that? >> i agree with mara as far as she goes that platform don't always reflect the position of the presidential candidates. on the other hand, these words disappeared for a reason. there wareason.

there was discussions about them and debate about them and they are no longer in the text. there is a reason. what i found interesting with the exchange on senator durbin on this issue, this is a democratic party that wants to talk about anything other than the economy. they are eager to engage an he did not want to answer those questions. we moved to move beyond them. i think the change is significant. i think it's a big concept yesterday. democrats made the case to voters they were still in party of fewer voters. the strongest party. i think they are playing defense on this. because of the policies that came in last three-and-a-half years. >> bret: ab, let me bring the democratic response on jerusalem. platform makes clear that the president seeks peace between israel and palestinians that he firmly believes partner to

recognize israel is reject violence and -- [ inaudible ] the official position of this administration on jerusalem is no different than position of numerous previous administration of both parties. they find that decision to negotiate directed by the two parties and reference another attempt by romney campaign to turn our support for israel to wedge issue. romney campaign jumped on this saying it's indicative of those things. >> the romney campaign jumped to put a statement out about this. [ inaudible ] he went for tradition. which is it's time status issue to be negotiated by the parties. they were taking according to people i spoke to, familiar with the drafting of this, there was consensus around this document. they wanted to leigh the issues like border and refugees and jerusalem issue out of a political document. they also did this with mu m jewish groups and nothing was

awry. no one had a problem with it. romney did not talk about syria or afghanistan in his speech. he talked about this president throwing israel under the bus and trying to create when issue on something that's always been nonpartisan. >> bret: people say platforms don't matter. they're still interesting and wordy. we will continue to go through them. final thoughts. thank you, panel. when we come back from the democratic national convention in charlotte. he table till you finish your vegetables. [ clock ticking ] [ male announcer ] there's a better way... v8 v-fusion. vegetable nutrition they need, fruit taste they love. could've had a v8...

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